Survey: type 44 break down frequency

[Wallace White]

Ben -

> I'm happy to say I have not been stranded in over 10 years of AUDI
> ownership.  I think it is because I do my best to seek out problems before
> they occur.

That's impressive--and somewhat encouraging.

> (1) Clutch throw-out bearing, June '98.
> <snip>
>
> -  Wouldn't need a tow for that if standard trans.

True--I did drive another 450 freeway miles that way! I'd still count it as a
debilitating injury, but it wasn't a stranding. So update my count to four
(minus this, plus that hydraulic hose) in four years, 53k miles. Sadly, two
have been failures of replacement parts.

> (3) Heater control valve, June '99.
> <snip>
>
> -  OOh - I've had one leak giving me warning.  If not hot, but going south
> while on the road, I guess hoseclamps inserted around a screwdriver or
> whatever would get you to a parts store.

That's where the flush-n-fill kit comes in; it has little lengths of pipe that
could substitute for the heater valve or a turbo coolant pump.

> (4) Fuel pump, three days ago.
> <snip>
>
> -  I would think this of all things is one that is most likely to strand
> you - did happen to me once in early VW ownership - Scirocco.  It was
> giving me warnings, but I didn't know it.

Right--just didn't expect it on a two-year-old pump. It was always noisy but
I'd heard that was typical for newer Bosch pumps. I did _not_ cut the intake
screen off of it when I installed it, however; I didn't see evidence of the
old screen clogging or the tank coating flaking off. That may have been the
wrong call.

- Wallace
  '87 5kcstq 190k


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